It’s all the buzz. It’s in all the trade mags/blogs it’s like it’s new or something. “Great Customer Service” “Superior Client Relationships” “Treat em like family”…ad infinitum.
Now, more than ever our customers have choices who they do business with. How they are treated, how they feel about their interaction with us dictates whether we will see them again or send them shopping elsewhere .
So who is taking care of our customers? I mean all of our customers and are your employees not your customers also? What is the message they’re getting, feeling, experiencing, and who is giving it to them? Well, unless you’re the one doing everything, it is not just you, it is your employees, your staff, your ambassadors of good will, your ladies and gentlemen in service and even present clients/customers that are in direct contact with the public and each other.
We all know it starts at the top and if we’re persistent (if our people aren’t mimicking us it hasn’t been said enough) our message gets to everyone out on the front line. Do you think your people care about the customers as much as you do? Why would they unless you care about your people, encourage, reward and even empower them to go above and beyond the everyday ordinary service of just “doing the job”?
Recognizing, honoring and rewarding our people for creating the customer service experience we envision has to be paramount. We recently had the pleasure of visiting just that sort of company.Voted #1 Best Small Company to Work for in the U.S. by FORTUNE Magazine. Ruby Receptionists impressed us with how they are taking care of business. Jill Nelson founder and CEO was gracious enough to personally walk us around and give us a show and tell of how her people are encouraged and empowered to go way beyond the norm in performance of the exceptional client experience we are all raving about (WOWism as it’s coined).
Ruby Receptionists embodies consistent excellence across the entire organization . By treating their people as crucial to the company’s success it is a success.
So how about you, and your company? How do you empower your people? We would love to hear your stories.
To your success and happiness
Corinne McElroy